Tree growth traits and social status affect the wood density of pioneer species in secondary subtropical forest

Wood density (WD) is not only an important parameter to estimate aboveground biomass but also an indicator of timber quality and plant adaptation strategies to stressful conditions (i.e., windthrow, pests, and pathogens). This study had three objectives: (1) to compare WD among seven subtropical tree species; (2) to determine how tree growth traits may influence possible differences in WD between the pioneer and shade‐tolerant species; and (3) to examine whether or not WD differs by tree social status (dominant vs. suppressed trees) within species. To do this, 70 trees were destructively harvested. From each tree, disks at different stem heights were obtained and subjected to a method of stem analysis to measure whole tree level WD. The results showed that WD differed significantly among the seven species (p < .001). Their average WD was 0.537 g/cm³, ranging from 0.409 g/cm³ for Choerospondias axillaris to 0.691 g/cm³ for Cyclobalanopsis glauca. The average WD of the four pioneer species (0.497 ± 0.13 g/cm³) was significantly lower (p < .01) than that of the three shade‐tolerant species (0.589 ± 0.12 g/cm³). The WD of the pioneers had a significant positive correlation with their stem diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height (H), and tree age, but WD had a significant negative correlation with relative growth rate (RGR). In contrast, the WD of the shade‐tolerant tree species had no significant relationships with DBH, H, tree age, or RGR. The dominant trees of the pioneer species had a higher WD than the suppressed trees, whereas the shade‐tolerant species had a lower WD for dominant trees than the suppressed trees. However, the differences in WD between dominant and suppressed trees were not significant. Taken together, the results suggest that classifying species into pioneer and shade‐tolerant groups to examine the effects of tree growth traits and social status could improve our understanding of intra‐ and interspecific variation in WD among subtropical tree species.     

林下引入耐阴树种功能性状特征及其与生长的关系

植物功能性状之间的协调性揭示了其适应特定生境的主要策略,而植物早期生长与功能性状可能具有很大关联性。为探讨林下引入耐阴树种的根、茎、叶功能性状协调性及其与生长的关系,研究了杉木人工林林下引入5种常绿阔叶树种（洒金叶珊瑚、杨桐、蚊母树、栀子和海桐）的生长率（树高和地径相对增长率）以及27个根茎叶形态、生理性状指标。结果表明：（1）由主成分分析（Principal component analysis,PCA）可知耐阴树种种间根茎功能性状关联更紧密。此外,种间根、茎性状的变异系数均小于叶面积;（2）耐阴树种种间和种内关键性状与生长率网络关联性差异较大。在种间水平上,生长率与大部分叶性状显著正相关,与根茎性状多为显著负相关;在种内水平上,关键性状与生长率关系网更加复杂;（3）树高相对增长率是种间和种内关系网中心性最高的生长率指标。种间中心性最高的性状指标是叶面积;叶、茎生物量占比和根干物质含量是种内中心性最高的性状指标。但只有叶面积与树高相对增长率在种间和种内均显著正相关,因此,叶面积更适合作为指示林下耐阴树种生长率变化的性状。总体上,耐阴树种叶性状对生长率的调控要强于根茎性状,其中引入较大叶面积的常绿阔叶树种可能更有利于杉木纯林的人促更新和高效复层林的构建。     

Relative growth rate variation of evergreen and deciduous savanna tree species is driven by different traits

Background and Aims

Plant relative growth rate (RGR) depends on biomass allocation to leaves (leaf mass fraction, LMF), efficient construction of leaf surface area (specific leaf area, SLA) and biomass growth per unit leaf area (net assimilation rate, NAR). Functional groups of species may differ in any of these traits, potentially resulting in (1) differences in mean RGR of groups, and (2) differences in the traits driving RGR variation within each group. We tested these predictions by comparing deciduous and evergreen savanna trees.

Methods

RGR, changes to biomass allocation and leaf morphology, and root non-structural carbohydrate reserves were evaluated for juveniles of 51 savanna species (34 deciduous, 17 evergreen) grown in a common garden experiment. It was anticipated that drivers of RGR would differ between leaf habit groups because deciduous species have to allocate carbohydrates to storage in roots to be able to flush leaves again, which directly compromises their LMF, whereas evergreen species are not subject to this constraint.

Key Results

Evergreen species had greater LMF and RGR than deciduous species. Among deciduous species LMF explained 27 % of RGR variation (SLA 34 % and NAR 29 %), whereas among evergreen species LMF explained between 2 and 17 % of RGR variation (SLA 32–35 % and NAR 38–62 %). RGR and LMF were (negatively) related to carbohydrate storage only among deciduous species.

Conclusions

Trade-offs between investment in carbohydrate reserves and growth occurred only among deciduous species, leading to differences in relative contribution made by the underlying components of RGR between the leaf habit groups. The results suggest that differences in drivers of RGR occur among savanna species because these have different selected strategies for coping with fire disturbance in savannas. It is expected that variation in the drivers of RGR will be found in other functional types that respond differently to particular disturbances.     

Thermal tolerance,net CO2 exchange and growth of a tropical tree species, Ficus insipida, cultivated at elevated daytime and nighttime temperatures

Global warming and associated increases in the frequency and amplitude of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, may adversely affect tropical rainforest plants via significantly increased tissue temperatures. In this study, the response to two temperature regimes was assessed in seedlings of the neotropical pioneer tree species, Ficus insipida. Plants were cultivated in growth chambers at strongly elevated daytime temperature (39 °C), combined with either close to natural (22 °C) or elevated (32 °C) nighttime temperatures. Under both growth regimes, the critical temperature for irreversible leaf damage, determined by changes in chlorophyll a fluorescence, was approximately 51 °C. This is comparable to values found in F. insipida growing under natural ambient conditions and indicates a limited potential for heat tolerance acclimation of this tropical forest tree species. Yet, under high nighttime temperature, growth was strongly enhanced, accompanied by increased rates of net photosynthetic CO₂ uptake and diminished temperature dependence of leaf-level dark respiration, consistent with thermal acclimation of these key physiological parameters.